Dr. Robert Allen Helsten, MD

Dr. Helsten is very good at what he does. The clinic is able to get me in often on short notice.

Dr. Helsten has a very special, kind, and compassionate attitude. I have the utmost respect and affection for him. I feel secure in his diagnosis.

Dr. Helsten is very quiet and listens asking questions so he fully comprehends the information you are giving him. He finds conditions other Doctors have missed. He checks up on patients after he has seen them.

Dr Helsten has been my primary care physician for almost 5 years. He is honest, polite, very caring (but not real pushy) and extremely patient. I have some complicated medical conditions that require some teamwork to keep in check and he is one of the few GP's I've met that recognizes that some patients know when something is wrong before physicians do and he doesn't take it personal when I disagree with him. He is not afraid to tell me when he is not sure about something or does not know an answer. The majority of my specialists are at UT Southwestern which is well known for its higher standards of care - and many of them compliment Dr Helsten's creative problem solving and medical management skills reminding me constantly that I have a very good GP. It is convinient that his office can do bloodwork, minor surgical procedures and xrays. Although he works in a pain management clinic, he makes a great family and Primary Care physician. He does not treat me poorly when I am crabby and he is very good about helping me feel in control of my own healthcare by insuring I have copies of my labs and educating me when I don't understand something. His patient education has prevented many common medical errors over time. His unique qualities have made him a valuable asset in my life and a couple of times kept me alive. My biggest complaint about him is that he does not see children under 10 years of age so I have to wait another 5 years to hire him as my child's physician - and there have been a few times when I've been in the hospital that I would have rather him be the one managing my care because I trust him the most but he can't really control either of those cases due to where he works.